Podcast episode 477ish: Darryl Lenox & Garry Yuill

Remember our old pal Darryl Lenox? He's been a guest with us a few times over the years (as well as a guest on Conan and WTF with Marc Maron). The American standup comic lived here for 14 years back around the turn of the century (do we say that for 2000?). Now he's back, semi-full time, and he's taking a break from the stage to concentrate on the business of comedy. He and Vancouver Yuk Yuk's franchise owner Garry Yuill have an ambitious plan to take over all the Yuk Yuk's in Canada, make more of them, and add a bunch more in the United States. It's a model based on the Green Bay Packers, where you, the comedy fan and practitioner, can become part-owner. They explain it to this decidedly unfinancial brain in this hour. If you like what they say and want to be a part of it, check out their website, Ellison Rains Enterprises and their Frontfundr campaign.

Here's the episode for you. It's also available, as per usual, at all the podcast shops, like iTunes, Stitcher, Podbay, TuneIn Radio, etc.

Dec. 3: Darryl Lenox & Garry Yuill

I don't know who I've known longer: Darryl Lenox or Garry Yuill. But I've known each for a long time. The great standup comic, Darryl Lenox, lived in Vancouver for 14 years before moving back to the United States of America, where he went on to perform on Conan and headline everywhere. Garry Yuill I knew even before he became the Vancouver franchise owner of Yuk Yuk's. How weird is that? He worked with my wife and I babysat his kid. Next thing I know he's comedy industry! Darryl has been on What's So Funny? three previous times, but only once solo. He likes company, I guess. Garry, of course, has never guested with us before. Darryl and Garry are teaming up for something I don't quite know about. I'll let them explain things tonight. It could shake things up in the Canadian comedy scene.

We're on the air in Vancouver on CFRO 100.5 FM at 11 pm. Or you could livestream us at coopradio.org. Or find us on TuneIn Radio.

Podcast episode 276ish: Darryl Lenox & Paula Antil

In this episode of What's So Funny?, I was joined by the Barry White of comedy, Darryl Lenox, as my co-host. The golden-throated one always took the role of mentor in the comedy community seriously when he lived here for 14 years. So on his weekend visit back to his old hometown, he decided to put his old friend, Paula Antil on the hotseat, questioning her comedy choices and challenging her to be the best she can be.

Have a listen here or wherever it is you get podcasts. I know it's on iTunes, but it's also elsewhere. Ask for it by name.

 

Apr. 29: Darryl Lenox & Paula Antil

We've had Baron Vaughn scheduled in tonight's spot for the past few weeks. But old friend Darryl Lenox is back in town and asked if he could come on and co-host with me. How could I refuse? Since the Vaughn episode is pre-recorded, we can just slot it in next week. We can make it happen. So let's do this.

Lenox is an American comic who lived in Vancouver for 14 years before being unceremoniously deported from the country he loved for not having his papers. Now he's living in New York but still makes it back to play Vancouver at least once a year. Darryl chose as our guest Paula Antil, whose been doing comedy in Vancouver for years. They go way back. We'll find out what's what with both of them and see what Darryl has up his sleeves for his guest.

David Cross

I told you there'd be additions and subtractions to the comedy festival. Turns out the two Matts (Besser and Walsh) won't be able to make it afterall, which is a shame because they're great. And old friend David Cross will be making a return visit.

David Cross and I go way back. I've never interviewed him either over the phone or in person. And I've never met him (except once even before I was writing about comedy regularly I saw him at a Nashville Pussy show at Richard's on Richards and said hi). But I've been a fan ever since I saw him at Bumbershoot years and years ago. I think Patton Oswalt, Laura Kightlinger and Tenacious D were also on the bill. Can't remember who else.

So I've been a big fan. Then two years ago I had to do a festival round-up for the Straight. I took in tons of shows but I didn't have tons of space to go into much depth. But I gave a less-than-stellar review to Cross's stand-up. I wrote:

Probably the most famous name at the fest was David Cross, who gained mass appeal with his role as Tobias on Arrested Development, but his was a mixed bag. Doing standup, he's just an angry know-it-all who appears to hate his time on-stage almost as much as he hates his fans. Appearing last in the almost-three-hour Comedy Death Ray show, Cross insulted First Nations people and drug addicts before going on a seemingly endless–and humourless–rant about Mormonism, hemming and hawing his way through an ill-prepared set. But what a pleasure it was to watch him the next night in Match Game, where he smiled, laughed, and enjoyed himself, and in the SKETCH Show on September 22, also at the Cultch, where he was reunited with former Mr. Show partner Bob Odenkirk.

The thing about reviewing is you can only review the show you've seen, not the body of work. Re-reading my review above, I see that I shouldn't have used the present tense, because I don't think he's always an angry know-it-all. But I definitely thought he was for the two shows I saw him that year. That was my impression, at least, and I spoke to other comedy nerds who loved the guy but didn't at all like his festival sets. And, to be fair, I also spoke to others who did like his stand-up there. But I can only give my opinion when I review. I just try not to give cheap shots, say my piece, and move on. I also mentioned how much I enjoyed him during the Match Game and in his sketch show.

Well, Dave read my review and commented on it in his blog. Fair enough. Critics have to be able to take it just like they dish it out. I have no problem with that. To rebut my criticism, he wrote:

Hmmm, well, I don’t hate my fans, nor do I hate doing stand-up. I’m sorry if I gave (or give) that impression, but as I said, I genuinely like doing it. That’s why I flew to Vancouver for the shows. And I actually like it when people like my act. Not too surprising really. I certainly don’t do it for the money. 7 shows for a thousand bucks total is not very lucrative. I made more money middling at “The Laugher’s Den” in Made-Up-Town, New Hampshire. It’s true though; I did insult drug-users, specifically heroin addicts. So, sorry junkies. Also I did insult a “First Nationer”, or “drunk Indian” as I called her. It was after she stood up in her chair, and yelled out that she didn’t have a TV to a rhetorical question I asked. Then, I guessed that she was a drunk Indian, which it turns out was correct. She wasn’t insulted (at least not then – she waited for me after the show to drunkenly apologize in a drunk Indian way). I then talked about drunk Indians for a minute. I am not angry about drunk Indians at all by the way, I find them adorable.

That was his take and it's good he clarified that he does, indeed, like doing stand-up (or at least doesn't hate it) and likes (or at least doesn't hate) his fans, and he's sorry if he gave that impression. Good to know. Seriously. Who knows, he could have been having a shitty week or whatever. Hopefully if I get to review him this year, I'll be able to give him a better review. Because, as I said, I really do like him.

As for his recollection of the drunk Indian bit, I think his memory is selective. He did the same bit twice. There were two different shows. One at the Comedians of Comedy at the Cultch and the second one at the show where someone yelled out at the Commodore. So he wasn't just reacting to someone in the crowd.

Anyway, here's what I didn't like about his rebuttal:

Here, from the same article is an example of the kind of humor Guy enjoys:

"Former locals Irwin Barker and Darryl Lenox got me all nostalgic about the good old days when we could see these two pros just about any day of the week. Lenox talked about his girlfriend's hippie parents, who served him porridge for breakfast: "I didn't even know that shit was real." And Barker, who's suffering from cancer, is still writing gems: "I bought the book France for Dummies because I've always wanted to see Buckingham Palace."

Well, there you go.

I didn't like it for a couple of reasons. No doubt he's never seen Irwin Barker or Darryl Lenox, who are great comics and well-respected by their peers, so he doesn't need to slag them by way of me. Now, I know he didn't overtly slag them; he just said I enjoy that kind of humour and his is different and he didn't offer any opinion. But we can all read between the lines. He probably just thought they were lame examples of jokes I gave but he should know jokes don't always translate well to the page. Sure, I could have done a better job summing them up in one sentence each, but... uh... deadlines. That's my excuse.

But the other reason I didn't like it is because he's doing some nifty editing. In that same review, I led by saying Paul F. Tompkins (who Cross certainly does know and like) was the highlight of the festival for me, and that Jimmy Pardo (another Cross crony) was another highlight. So they were also examples of the kind of humour I enjoy. And I even mentioned enjoying Cross as Cross in Match Game and as characters in sketch. So to slough me off as a guy who just doesn't get his style of stand-up isn't really accurate.

Still with Cross, I was reading an interview with one of my favourites, Doug Stanhope, the other day. It seems Stanhope might have the same impression of Cross that I had back in 2007:

With Bill Maher, I agree with the majority of things he says, and I hate him. He just comes across as so cunty, and smarmy, that curled up sarcasm … and too many guys on that side of the fence do that. That David Cross kind of delivery of, “I’m smarter than you,” not “We’re smarter than them.”

I agree with that notion completely and have been saying it for years, that just because I agree with a comic politically or socially doesn't make me like their comedy. As I said, I do like David Cross, although I get what Doug's saying here. But I feel exactly that way about Bill Maher. Yes, I agree with almost all he says, but I don't find him funny. I used to, back when he was a young comic on The Tonight Show.

It's funny because for ever I've been saying that Doug Stanhope is a guy I disagree with 90 percent of the time, yet find him hilarious.

Podcasts

We've got three more podcasts for you today. You can listen to them here or at the Comedy Couch, or download them at iTunes. And if you're at iTunes, why not subscribe to us and give us a rating and a review? Be the first!

The Baby Jessicas sketch troupe's Ryan Murphy and Stephen Morton. I can't even remember when this one was recorded. Maybe Ryan or Stephen can help out here.


Paul Breau, from just a few weeks ago, July 19, 2009:


And Darryl Lenox with Richard Lett, from July 26, 2009:


Oh, and while you're at it, this is me guesting (or trying to guest) on The Exploding Sandwich podcast with Devon Lougheed and Devin Mackenzie, recorded last Saturday. The ES is available on iTunes and at their website. Google 'em:


What the hell, let's get all my Vancouver podcast appearances out of the way. Here I am trying to keep up with Graham Clark and Dave Shumka on Stop Podcasting Yourself (available on iTunes and at their site):


It's your one-stop shopping for podcasts.

July 26: Darryl Lenox (and Richard Lett)

Born and raised in the Vegas, Darryl Lenox spent 11 years living in Vancouver before moving back down in 2005. He now lives in New York. I don't know if that situation has given him his unique outlook on life, but he has a comedic voice like no other: A stand-up Yoda who talks of life, death, Socrates, Buddha, and race. Oh, and diarrhea and sex, too. He's human, afterall. There's a real depth to the man and his act. I saw him at Lafflines on Friday night and he held the crowd in the palm of his hand without ever talking down to the audience or compromising his comedy in any way.

Darryl was last on our show back in 2007. He's a great guest, too, with an amazing radio voice. So I'm looking forward to having him back tonight. He always has lots on his mind, so I know it'll be a good one.

ADDENDUM: Just got a call from Darryl asking if Richard Lett can join us tonight. Richard is one of the show's best guests, so it'll be a double-whammy. Of course, I've written all my questions for Darryl, but I'll improvise. Oh, and I just came across this website of Darryl's specifically for his Canadian fans. There are some good stories on there.

July 12: Stuff

Not much to report here today. On tonight's show we're guest-free. Kevin and I will spin some hot wax and I'll wax poetic about my thrilling victory in a Ping-Pong tournament yesterday. We're gearing up for two weeks from tonight when we'll welcome back old friend Darryl Lenox. I'm looking forward to that show. Darryl's an amazing comic, and if you're not familiar with him you should check out some of that video over there in the right-hand panel while it's up.

Also coming up, possibly in early August, we'll have comic, writer and host of The Exploding Sandwich podcast, Devon Lougheed. So you see, we're not completely devoid of content this summer.

Tonight, though, it's comedy clips for the masses. If you have a request, give us a call and we'll do our best to get it on the air for you.